NEWS: Number Portability Hits With A WHIMPER, Not The BANG !!!

Sorry for delay in getting this posted. It is hard to type and pat yourself
on the back at the same time. But I also will say I am not going to change
form a Back Pat to a full Back Rub, not yet!

Cell-Phone Customers Are No Longer On Hold.
After years of delay, new rules approved by the Federal Communications
Commission took effect yesterday, allowing consumers to switch cell-phone
carriers while keeping their phone numbers.
Fewer than 1 million people probably switched cell-phone companies
yesterday, said Ed Evans, chief executive officer of TSI Telecommunications
Services Inc., a Florida company that helps move consumers from one carrier
to another.
"We've been monitoring the volume all day, and I'll say it will probably
be at the low end of the estimates. It will be in the hundreds of thousands,
not in the millions," he said.
Most of the nation's leading cell-phone companies said consumers had
only moderate interest yesterday in dumping their current wireless provider
for a new one. But they expect more people to switch carriers as the busy
holiday shopping season begins Friday.
"So far activity is light, which is not surprising given that we're just
a few hours into the process. We were prepared for anything," said Mark
Siegel, spokesman for AT&T Wireless, the nation's third-largest cell-phone
company with 21.8 million subscribers.
The Yankee Group, a technology research firm, expects 10 million to 12
million of the nation's 152 million cell-phone subscribers to choose a new
carrier in the next year. About 40 million cell-phone subscribers already
switch carriers each year in search of better deals, better customer service
and better reception.
The new regulations also let consumers transfer a land-line phone number
to a cell phone, a move local phone service providers tried to prevent
Friday when they asked a court to block the rule.
An appeals court is scheduled to hold a hearing on the appeal.
Verizon Wireless spokesman John Johnson said about half of the customers
in its Washington-area stores yesterday asked about canceling service with
other cell-phone carriers.
Industry analysts said Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA Inc., formerly
VoiceStream Wireless, appeared to gain the most new subscribers yesterday.
The FCC has said cell-phone companies should switch consumers to their
new carrier within 2½ hours.
One glitch that surfaced yesterday occurred at AT&T Wireless, which told
some new subscribers who wanted to sign up with the company that it may not
be able to complete the conversion for up to three days.
Cell-phone carriers are aggressively marketing services to attract new
customers.
Yesterday AT&T Wireless began two marketing initiatives. Under the terms
of one plan, the company will give subscribers a new phone each year when
they sign a two-year service agreement.
Cell-phone companies routinely declined to disclose how many subscribers
they gained or lost. None knew what to expect on the first day when
disgruntled consumers could dump them and search for better deals.
"I think we're all in the same boat. This is the big unknown," said
Chris Doherty, spokesman for Nextel Communications, the Reston cell-phone
company that is the fifth-largest carrier with 12.3 million subscribers.
The FCC extended the opportunity to switch cell-phone providers to the
top 100 metropolitan areas first. Consumers in the rest country will be able
to switch carriers in May.
"No longer are consumers constrained by artificial barriers when
[switching] their telephone numbers between wireless providers or wireless
and wire-line providers," FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy said.
Cell-phone customers are no longer on hold.
After years of delay, new rules approved by the Federal Communications
Commission took effect yesterday, allowing consumers to switch cell-phone
carriers while keeping their phone numbers.
Fewer than 1 million people probably switched cell-phone companies
yesterday, said Ed Evans, chief executive officer of TSI Telecommunications
Services Inc., a Florida company that helps move consumers from one carrier
to another.
"We've been monitoring the volume all day, and I'll say it will probably
be at the low end of the estimates. It will be in the hundreds of thousands,
not in the millions," he said.
Most of the nation's leading cell-phone companies said consumers had
only moderate interest yesterday in dumping their current wireless provider
for a new one. But they expect more people to switch carriers as the busy
holiday shopping season begins Friday.
"So far activity is light, which is not surprising given that we're just
a few hours into the process. We were prepared for anything," said Mark
Siegel, spokesman for AT&T Wireless, the nation's third-largest cell-phone
company with 21.8 million subscribers.
The Yankee Group, a technology research firm, expects 10 million to 12
million of the nation's 152 million cell-phone subscribers to choose a new
carrier in the next year. About 40 million cell-phone subscribers already
switch carriers each year in search of better deals, better customer service
and better reception.
The new regulations also let consumers transfer a land-line phone number
to a cell phone, a move local phone service providers tried to prevent
Friday when they asked a court to block the rule.
An appeals court is scheduled to hold a hearing on the appeal.
Verizon Wireless spokesman John Johnson said about half of the customers
in its Washington-area stores yesterday asked about canceling service with
other cell-phone carriers.
Industry analysts said Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA Inc., formerly
VoiceStream Wireless, appeared to gain the most new subscribers yesterday.
The FCC has said cell-phone companies should switch consumers to their
new carrier within 2½ hours.
One glitch that surfaced yesterday occurred at AT&T Wireless, which told
some new subscribers who wanted to sign up with the company that it may not
be able to complete the conversion for up to three days.
Cell-phone carriers are aggressively marketing services to attract new
customers.
Yesterday AT&T Wireless began two marketing initiatives. Under the terms
of one plan, the company will give subscribers a new phone each year when
they sign a two-year service agreement.
Cell-phone companies routinely declined to disclose how many subscribers
they gained or lost. None knew what to expect on the first day when
disgruntled consumers could dump them and search for better deals.
"I think we're all in the same boat. This is the big unknown," said
Chris Doherty, spokesman for Nextel Communications, the Reston cell-phone
company that is the fifth-largest carrier with 12.3 million subscribers.
The FCC extended the opportunity to switch cell-phone providers to the
top 100 metropolitan areas first. Consumers in the rest country will be able
to switch carriers in May.
"No longer are consumers constrained by artificial barriers when
[switching] their telephone numbers between wireless providers or wireless
and wire-line providers," FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy said.

--
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› See More: NEWS: Number Portability Hits With A WHIMPER, Not The BANG !!!

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 13:17:44 -0500, "PDA Man" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Fewer than 1 million people probably switched cell-phone companies
>yesterday, said Ed Evans, chief executive officer of TSI Telecommunications
>Services Inc., a Florida company that helps move consumers from one carrier
>to another.
> "We've been monitoring the volume all day, and I'll say it will probably
>be at the low end of the estimates. It will be in the hundreds of thousands,
>not in the millions," he said.

While I was at the Cingular store today signing up for my new service (i.e. a
brand new number, not a ported one), the guys at the store told me that there
have been lots of delays and glitches in porting numbers from other carriers.
One of them was just finishing up a switch over, and he remarked that this was
the first one that had gone smoothly and without hiccups. He also said that many
customers were waiting until all the glitches had been worked out to switch
carriers.

The tsunami may yet arrive.

--
http://www.geocities.com/slothkills/

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 13:17:44 -0500, "PDA Man" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Fewer than 1 million people probably switched cell-phone companies
>yesterday, said Ed Evans, chief executive officer of TSI Telecommunications
>Services Inc., a Florida company that helps move consumers from one carrier
>to another.
> "We've been monitoring the volume all day, and I'll say it will probably
>be at the low end of the estimates. It will be in the hundreds of thousands,
>not in the millions," he said.

While I was at the Cingular store today signing up for my new service (i.e. a
brand new number, not a ported one), the guys at the store told me that there
have been lots of delays and glitches in porting numbers from other carriers.
One of them was just finishing up a switch over, and he remarked that this was
the first one that had gone smoothly and without hiccups. He also said that many
customers were waiting until all the glitches had been worked out to switch
carriers.

The tsunami may yet arrive.

--
http://www.geocities.com/slothkills/

Well when they do the math of giving up the existing contracts they wait.
So when the wait is over they will change. The very determined (and
frustrated) have already changed.

Also net change will come evident only over time as all markets are
different.

So wait and see.

Well when they do the math of giving up the existing contracts they wait.
So when the wait is over they will change. The very determined (and
frustrated) have already changed.

Also net change will come evident only over time as all markets are
different.

So wait and see.

"Scott in Aztlán" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 13:17:44 -0500, "PDA Man" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> ....... He also said that many
> customers were waiting until all the glitches had been worked out to
switch
> carriers.
>

And a lot are waiting for the end of contracts.


--
Thomas M. Goethe

"Scott in Aztlán" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 13:17:44 -0500, "PDA Man" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> ....... He also said that many
> customers were waiting until all the glitches had been worked out to
switch
> carriers.
>

And a lot are waiting for the end of contracts.


--
Thomas M. Goethe

Ignoring his agents wishes,"Thomas M. Goethe"
<[email protected]> flung open the hotel room door and
announced to the gathering crowd:

>"Scott in Aztlán" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 13:17:44 -0500, "PDA Man" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> ....... He also said that many
>> customers were waiting until all the glitches had been worked out to
>switch
>> carriers.
>>
>
> And a lot are waiting for the end of contracts.



As one that "did the switch" on the 24th, all I can say is that
there's still a lot of bugs to work out. I'm *still* in the process
of switching from AT&T to Nextel. AT&T was no where ready on the 24th
to do any switching. I was on the phone for 2 1/2 hours with Nextel
trying to get my numbers (3) ported over from AT&T and AT&T's systems
kept rejecting the request even though the numbers were portable.

On top of that, Nextel's systems kept locking up when they tried to
complete the request from their end.

Also, after 2 1/2 hours of working with both AT&T and Nextel, we all
got the request processed. However, after the requests were finally
processed, I was told by AT&T that it takes FIVE DAYS to get the
number released from AT&T.

Once the number is "released", it takes *another*
five days for Nextel to "make it ready" for assignment to my Nextel
phones. A total of ten *working* days before the number is even
available to actually be switched! Meanwhile, we have six phones with
two carriers for our family of three. Yeah, I don't blame anyone but
ourselves for being one of the first of the portability guinea pigs,
but I thought the federal mandate also included a maximum period of 48
hours for the carriers to switch over numbers?




**********************************************************************

People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's
safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.
-Unknown


Remove "die spammers" to email

Ignoring his agents wishes,"Thomas M. Goethe"
<[email protected]> flung open the hotel room door and
announced to the gathering crowd:

>"Scott in Aztlán" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 13:17:44 -0500, "PDA Man" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> ....... He also said that many
>> customers were waiting until all the glitches had been worked out to
>switch
>> carriers.
>>
>
> And a lot are waiting for the end of contracts.



As one that "did the switch" on the 24th, all I can say is that
there's still a lot of bugs to work out. I'm *still* in the process
of switching from AT&T to Nextel. AT&T was no where ready on the 24th
to do any switching. I was on the phone for 2 1/2 hours with Nextel
trying to get my numbers (3) ported over from AT&T and AT&T's systems
kept rejecting the request even though the numbers were portable.

On top of that, Nextel's systems kept locking up when they tried to
complete the request from their end.

Also, after 2 1/2 hours of working with both AT&T and Nextel, we all
got the request processed. However, after the requests were finally
processed, I was told by AT&T that it takes FIVE DAYS to get the
number released from AT&T.

Once the number is "released", it takes *another*
five days for Nextel to "make it ready" for assignment to my Nextel
phones. A total of ten *working* days before the number is even
available to actually be switched! Meanwhile, we have six phones with
two carriers for our family of three. Yeah, I don't blame anyone but
ourselves for being one of the first of the portability guinea pigs,
but I thought the federal mandate also included a maximum period of 48
hours for the carriers to switch over numbers?




**********************************************************************

People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's
safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.
-Unknown


Remove "die spammers" to email

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> Ignoring his agents wishes,"Thomas M. Goethe"
> <[email protected]> flung open the hotel room door and
> announced to the gathering crowd:
>
>
>
> As one that "did the switch" on the 24th, all I can say is that
> there's still a lot of bugs to work out. I'm *still* in the process
> of switching from AT&T to Nextel.

I don't know who is doing the porting for Nextel, but of the six majors,
five are using one organization to port the numbers, TSI with HQ in Tampa,
FL (with many other facilities around the country). Using a different port
organization coupled with the problems AT&T was already having doesn't leave
me surprised that AT&T customers are having issues. And you are right, it
doesn't seem as if many people are getting the mandated 48 hour port. Glad I
was relatively happy with Alltel here in FL. The only issue is drive time at
5 PM and mainly for my wife.


--
Thomas M. Goethe

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> Ignoring his agents wishes,"Thomas M. Goethe"
> <[email protected]> flung open the hotel room door and
> announced to the gathering crowd:
>
>
>
> As one that "did the switch" on the 24th, all I can say is that
> there's still a lot of bugs to work out. I'm *still* in the process
> of switching from AT&T to Nextel.

I don't know who is doing the porting for Nextel, but of the six majors,
five are using one organization to port the numbers, TSI with HQ in Tampa,
FL (with many other facilities around the country). Using a different port
organization coupled with the problems AT&T was already having doesn't leave
me surprised that AT&T customers are having issues. And you are right, it
doesn't seem as if many people are getting the mandated 48 hour port. Glad I
was relatively happy with Alltel here in FL. The only issue is drive time at
5 PM and mainly for my wife.


--
Thomas M. Goethe